


The KikuChi/KimChi Chronicles

by XanderHale



Category: Hakuouki
Genre: F/F, Ratings and tags will change as updated
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-19
Updated: 2019-06-04
Packaged: 2019-10-12 13:47:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 8,118
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17468732
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/XanderHale/pseuds/XanderHale
Summary: Chizuru is stuck in a compound full of men, not allowed to go out to look for her missing father, and pretty much kept under house arrest. What's a girl to do? Well, get caught by a beautiful lady ninja of course.When you need a Kimigiku route in Hakuoki, but Otomate/Idea Factory doesn't give it to you so you just write it yourself. Ratings are definitely going to go up in future chapters cause yes, it totally happens. Also bad end, cause every good route still needs its angst.





	1. First Encounters

**Author's Note:**  
So this story is definitely going to wind up being a series because I've already got like 4 parts done and a fifth one in the works. I know most of you are eager for updates for Gift of a New Life, but that one's my main long story so I want the end result to be as beautiful and as polished as possible. This on the other hand is because some people (they know who they are and I love you guys) on my Hakuoki server planted this seed in my head and now it has come to fruition. I hope you all like it, especially since this seems to be the first work on here for this pairing. Sorry the first chapter's pretty short, but to make up for it I'll post the next chapter tomorrow! That one's kinds short too, but I cant really do much about that. Oh well, cheers guys!  


\- Zee  


* * *

Chizuru had been sneaking around the compound again, even though she knew she wasn’t supposed to, but something made her want to go out and enjoy the cool night air and pale light of the moon. She really had intended on staying near her room, but an odd sound down the hall piqued her interest. Looking around nervously, Chizuru made up her mind go off in search of the mysterious noise.

She tip-toed down the dark empty hall, but couldn’t find anything out of the ordinary. Maybe she had just been hearing things. Suddenly, a hand clamped over her mouth and was dragged into an empty room. The door was swiftly shut, but before she could even process what was happening, she was shoved up against the wall. Chizuru’s entire frame trembled as she felt a sharp blade against her neck and a deadly voice in her ear.

“What business does a girl have with the Shinsengumi? And why is she dressed like a man?” She stiffened when the person, a woman, behind her whispered into her ear, easily deducing her true gender. How had she figured out she was a girl? Was her disguise really that terrible? She heard a soft sigh and the blade was swiftly removed, allowing Chizuru to catch her breath and turn around to face the stranger.

The room was dark, but the soft moonlight that filtered into the room was just enough to illuminate the woman who stood before her. Even though a cowl covered half her face, Chizuru could make out the woman’s features. She was…beautiful.

“Tell me you name, little one. I promise, I will not hurt you.” However beautiful the woman was, Chizuru still knew she was dangerous and it was in her best interest to do whatever she asked. But she knew if she were to get out of this situation unscathed, she would have to take whatever opening she could. 

“Y-yukimura Chizuru.” 

“Yukimura?” An undecipherable expression marred the woman’s beautiful features and Chizuru took this chance to bolt. She had to get out of there, but her hand barely touched the screen door before she was grabbed again. She tried to scream but the woman had covered her mouth like before and all that came out were her muffled cries as she was dragged back into the darkness. Her arms had been pinned to her side, rendering her struggling useless. She was completely and utterly helpless.

“I can’t have you running off and alerting the Shinsengumi to my presence.” Chizuru frantically shook her head, trying to appease the woman in some way, but it didn’t seem like she would be releasing her anytime soon.

“But I will not hurt you. I would never hurt a girl.” 

“However, it is far past your bed time.” The hand over her mouth moved away for only a moment before being replaced with a sweet smelling rag. Chizuru struggled fruitlessly against the woman, but her body was growing heavy. Her eyes began to droop and the last thing she heard before blacking out was the woman’s gentle voice.

“Sleep, little one.”


	2. Second Meeting

**Author's Note:**  
As promised, here's the next part! Enjoy! And again if I like your comment, it might be the influence of the next chapter!  


\- Zee  


* * *

Chizuru woke up in her bed and groggily rubbed her eyes. Was last night just a dream or had it actually happened? She slowly sat up and her hand brushed something next to her futon. It was a folded piece of paper. Picking up the letter, Chizuru looked at the parchment curiously. She didn’t remember anyone coming into her room and leaving this. Regardless, if it was left in her room it was most for her, but from who?

 _‘I apologize for my roughness the night before. If I had realized you were a female earlier, I would have been much gentler with you. Please refrain yourself from telling anyone about me. I’ll be seeing you again very soon.’_

Chizuru’s hands trembled as she read the letter. So last night hadn’t been a dream and now she was caught up in this mess just because she had been curious. Why hadn’t she just stayed in her room last night? Why hadn’t she just listened?

Her first instinct was to immediately go find someone, maybe Harada or Shinpachi, even Heisuke would have been enough, but the letter had stated clear as day not to do that. She would have to deal with this alone.

Chizuru spent her day doing what she usually did ever since arriving at the Shinsengumi headquarters – chores and staying out of sight. Doing chores was the easy part; at least she had something to focus on and keep her mind off of the letter, but it was staying out of sight that really pushed her self-control. Luckily, she was in charge of preparing dinner for the captains and was able to push her worries back a little while longer. But as dinner came to an end and she was forced to retire to her room for the night, Chizuru’s mind kept wandering back to what the letter had said. 

_‘I’ll be seeing you again very soon.”_

Did that mean the woman would be coming again tonight or did she have time to prepare herself and maybe tell one of the captains about what had happened? However, her questions were answered much sooner than she could have wanted.

“I see you didn’t tell anyone about me.” Chizuru whirled around when she heard the familiar elegant voice from last night coming from behind her. How had she not heard her coming in? The woman once again had a cowl hiding most of her face, leaving only her eyes exposed, but thanks to the light from the candle Chizuru could see the woman’s features much more clearly. 

However, that light lasted for only a second before the room was plunged into darkness when the woman made a quick motion with her hand and extinguished the flame. The moonlight was just bright enough to light the dimly light the room, but it was still dark enough to make Chizuru nervous. The woman was clearly very capable and considering her own skill, there was no way she could get away. If she did, there was no doubt it would end like the night before. Or even worse. 

“W-what do you want with me?” Chizuru’s voice still shook even though she tried to keep it as steady as possible. There was no way she could keep her composure with the prospect of dying at any moment .

“Nothing. I came back to see if you were okay.”

“Huh?” She had expected all sorts of threats to keep her quiet, but this was not what she was expecting to hear at all. Not even close.

“Did you think I would hurt you?”

“Y-yes…” Why was the woman worried about her? She had gotten in her way the other night and here she was, back again to check up on her. Perhaps Okita-san was rubbing off on her too much with his deadly jokes.

“I told you last night, I would never hurt a girl.” That was right – she had said that, but she thought the woman was just saying that to get away. Chizuru had no retort. She honestly expected to be dead instead of having a casual conversation with the person who had threatened her last night.

“I’m glad you’re okay. However, this is as long as I can stay tonight.” The woman walked closer to Chizuru and placed her hands on the girl’s slender shoulders, slowly turning her around to face the wall. Chizuru could feel herself being pushed toward the back of the room and tried to stop herself, but a soft pressure against her back urged her to obey. It wasn’t long before she came face to face with the wall when a kind voice whispered into her ear.

“Don’t worry, we’ll meet again.”

“Wait, but-” Chizuru spun around, but the woman was gone. All that was left to show she had been there was a slight breeze and the open door. Chizuru rushed outside and looked around for the woman, but she was nowhere to be found. She had disappeared in a moment’s notice – like a shadow in the night. 

“She’s gone.” Chizuru’s whisper was swallowed by the vast silence of night as she slowly made her way back inside her room and relit the candle. Now that her room was lit up, the girl sighed and flopped onto her futon. Who was this woman? What was she doing in the compound? And most importantly why did she care about her wellbeing so much? A light blush dusted her cheeks as Chizuru remembered the woman’s elegant features and she turned over, embarrassed with her thoughts. As she moved, the sound of parchment crinkling reached her ears and she sat up to look for the source. Unlike the letter from this morning, there was nothing on her futon, but the quiet sounds persisted. 

Chizuru looked all around her with little luck, but it wasn’t until she looked over her shoulder did she find a paper tucked into her hakama. Her cheeks flushed even brighter as her mind replayed the memory of when the woman gently pushed her and she could almost feel the soft pressure of where the woman’s hand had touched.

“Huh? When did she give me this?” Unfolding the letter, Chizuru began to read the message and her cheeks only burned brighter as she finished. 

_‘It was lovely seeing you again Chizuru. I’ll be seeing you very soon and maybe this time I’ll tell you my name.’_


	3. A Week Later

**Author's Note:**  
I'm on quite the writing spree, so have another chapter! This one's a little longer than the last two so I hope you enjoy more fluff between the two! And again if I like your comment, it might be the influence of the next chapter!  


\- Zee  


* * *

Chizuru had been on edge for the past week. The letter said the woman was planning on visiting her again, but there had been no sign of her at all. Maybe she had written that in order to keep her quiet and not tell any of the captains, not that Chizuru would want to anyway. She was still much too scared of the consequences if the mysterious woman had found out she had told anyone. 

But considering how long it had been since she showed up, perhaps it would be okay to let her guard down. She was being kept in a compound with some of the fiercest warriors in all of Kyoto after all and every one of the captains was keeping a close eye on her every movement. However, the woman had managed to infiltrate the Shinsengumi's headquarters not only once, but twice without being caught. That alone was reason enough to stay on high alert.

However, Chizuru wasn’t a trained warrior like the Shinsengumi men. She would let her guard down wherever she was and her air headedness had a tendency to get her into all sorts of trouble. And this was no exception.

As she rounded the corner to her room, Chizuru noticed a lone light pink camellia flower lying in front of her door. She picked it up off the floor and looked around curiously. There were only red camellia bushes within the compound, so there was no way the flower could have come from here. Turning her attention back to the flower, Chizuru marveled at the beauty of the blossom and traced a finger over its delicate petals. They were so soft and its sweet light fragrance tickled her nose. She was so entranced with its beauty as she walked into her room, she didn’t notice the hand reaching out until it clamped over her mouth and pulled her back, making her drop the camellia as she struggled. Her room was plunged into darkness as the door quietly slid shut, but a familiar elegant voice stopped her from crying out. 

"Please don't scream." Chizuru’s eyes widened and she spun around, once let go, to meet face to face with the woman she had met last week.

"It's you again!"

"Yes, I apologize for causing you any unnecessary anxiety. I had intended on seeing you earlier." She was confused, why was this woman apologizing to her? Hadn’t she gotten in her way that one night?

"I don't understand. Why do you keep coming back?"

"I thought you would prefer the company of another woman while being cooped up with all these men." The woman was right. Back in Edo, she had spent much of her time helping her father run the family clinic and most of the time she would end up talking with many of the patients. Women most often visited the clinic with their children or came to pick up medicine and Chizuru would converse with them as her father prepared this things. She hadn't realized just how much she missed talking to another person of the same gender until now. Sure, some of the captains made an effort to help her open up, but they were still men and it wasn't the same as having a friendly chat with another woman. So an offer like this was a welcome relief.

“I-I…” Chizuru wanted to say something, but nothing was coming to mind. She was still much too wary about the fact this was the third time the woman had infiltrated the Shinsengumi headquarters and not been caught. She shyly turned away from the woman and picked up the fallen flower off the floor, gently caressing its petals to distract herself from the question.

“Wouldn’t you like to hear what Kyoto is like out of your cage? Wouldn’t you like to talk about all your pent up feelings?” The cowl still covered most of the woman’s face, but sadness clearly shown in her violet eyes. The poor girl had been locked up for so long it was slowly becoming the norm for her. 

“I…don’t know.” Somehow, the woman’s presence made the words spill from Chizuru’s lips so easily, admitting everything she had felt the entire time and more. She slowly sank to the floor with a crestfallen expression falling over her features. 

“You’ve been kept locked away from the world for so long that you’re willing to talk to anyone who lends and ear. Anyone besides the men, right?” Chizuru couldn’t deny what the woman said. She had read her so easily and yet, she kneeled beside her hunched figure and began rubbing comforting circles on her back. It was nice – being cared for. It had been a while since anyone had sat down with her to talk about her feelings. It was all too easy to let her emotions spill over after that initial touch.

“I just- I want to go out and find my father. I need to know he’s okay, but I can't do anything from in here.” She had finally said it. She felt like she couldn’t tell any of the men about her true feelings, but with this mysterious stranger, Chizuru felt mysteriously at ease and opened up. 

“What is your father’s name?”

“Huh? Why?” The sudden question startled Chizuru out of her thoughts and she turned to look at the woman, but didn’t realize just how close she had been. Their faces were so close causing her cheeks to become as pink as the flower she now held.

“You aren’t permitted leave here and most likely not for a long while, but I can help you.”

“Why? Why are you helping me?” She didn’t understand this woman at all. Here was someone who seemed to be an enemy of the Shinsengumi, if her sneaking around had been any indication, but at the same time seemed to be her ally.

“Wouldn’t you do the same?” Chizuru’s eyes widened. She hated seeing the weak being hurt, but how did this woman who had never met her before know that?

“I…”

“So please, tell me his name. I’ll be your eyes and look for him.” Chizuru had to avert her gaze as her blush deepened when he saw the earnestness in the woman’s eyes and could barely mumble out her father’s name.

“Y-yukimura Kodo.”

“Kodo? …very well, I’ll see what I can find out about your father. Keep an eye on the flower, I’ll return before it wilts completely.” The woman reached an arm around Chizuru, embracing her in a way, and gently cupped the blossom. She was so embarrassed from the woman’s pseudo hug Chizuru didn’t even notice the change in her tone.

“Until then, stay safe.” Before Chizuru could turn around to ask what the woman meant, she was gone. A soft breeze blowing into her room and tickling her cheeks was all that remained of her departure.

Chizuru was so confused. Who was she? What did she see in her? And most importantly – _what was her name?_


	4. 7 Weeks Later

**Author's Note:**  
Looks like things are starting to get interesting! And what's this feeling Chizuru's experiencing? And again if I like your comment, it might be the influence of the next chapter!  


\- Zee  


* * *

It had almost been two months without a single word from either the Shinsengumi or the mysterious woman about her father’s whereabouts and Chizuru was beginning to give up hope that she would ever see him again. She looked solemnly at the dead and wilted camellia that sat on desk. She had tried to keep the flower alive for as long as possible by placing it in a shallow dish of water as soon as she could, but there was no way a cut flower could last for two months.

The petals had long been browned, but still no sign of the mysterious woman. Did the woman forget about her or had something happened as she attempted to find any information about her father? Whatever the reason, Chizuru had been feeling lonely without the woman’s regular nightly visits. Even though they had only met three times before, she still felt strangely attached to the woman’s kindness. Perhaps it was because she was to only other female Chizuru had any sort of contact with ever since she came to Kyoto, but regardless of the reason, she missed seeing the woman.

Chizuru had finally built up the courage to talk to Hijikata to consider allowing her to go out into Kyoto to search for her father, however, the Shinsengumi’s Vice-Commander still did not trust her enough and she returned to her room with a heavy heart. So much so that she didn’t even notice the wilted flower had been replaced with a fresh red camellia and a dark figure creeping up behind her.

“You look so sad.” Chizuru nearly screamed if not for the hand clamping over her mouth and the familiar stranger moving into her field of vision.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“You came back!” Chizuru couldn’t help herself as she spun around and threw her arms around the woman in an embrace. The woman was startled for only a moment before she returned the hug and gently pat the girl on the head. 

“I must apologize. I had found information about your father, but I did not expect my duties to take this long.” Chizuru couldn’t believe what she was hearing. She didn’t even care it had taken this long, all she cared was that she finally had some sort of information about her father.

“You found something about my father?! Please tell me!” She clutched the woman’s arms and stared intently into violet irises, silently begging her for any kind of information.

“All I could find was that he is safe. I’m sorry I couldn’t find out more.”

“No, it’s more than enough knowing he’s safe. Thank you…thank you so much.” Chizuru was on the verge of tears. Her father was safe. She was so relieved from hearing this information she dropped to her knees and smiled. She could never thank the woman enough for helping her. If only there was something she could do for her to return the favor.

“More importantly, how have you been? I hope you haven’t been too lonely with only male company.” The woman sat down next to her and gently rubbed the girl’s hair, making the girl look up at her in surprise, the tears having magically disappeared and replaced by a cute little blush.

“N-no! The captains have been very kind to me and I don’t want to be a bother to them since they’re all so busy. And I’m…I’m-” Chizuru’s expression fell and pulled her knees to her chest. It was true. Ever since she came to the Shinsengumi headquarters, she had been nothing but a burden to the captains who had to keep an eye on her and keep her gender a secret.

“Useless to them? I can assure you, they do not see you in that light.”

“But I-” She wanted to deny the woman’s words, but she was cut off when a slender finger pressed against her lips, effectively silencing her.

“You sell yourself short. There are some things you provide to the captains that only you can do.” The woman removed her finger and pat the Chizuru’s hair again. She would have to prove the girl’s usefulness to herself one day. She needed to understand that even if she didn’t recognize her usefulness, it was still there.

“I don’t understand.” Chizuru couldn’t think of a single thing she had done in the past two months that had been any help to the captains.

“You don’t have to. Just know that you are not useless.” The woman’s hand suddenly disappeared and Chizuru’s eyes followed her dark silhouette to her desk. The room was dimly illuminated when the wick was lit, but it was plenty enough light for Chizuru to finally take a good look at the woman who had been visiting her.

_She was so beautiful._

“Here. I brought you something as well.” Chizuru snapped out of her stupor when the woman reappeared sitting next to her. She had placed a familiar package wrapped in bamboo leaves in her hands and Chizuru carefully undid the string tying it together, revealing a beautiful treat inside.

“Dango?”

“They’re for you. Help yourself.”

“P-please, you too! I can’t eat this all by myself.” Chizuru held out the package with shaky hands and she could see the corners of the woman’s eyes crinkle as she smiled behind the rich purple fabric.

“If you insist.” The woman pulled her cowl down and Chizuru nearly dropped the entire package of sweets. The woman was breathtakingly beautiful. So much so that Chizuru could not tear her gaze away even as the woman took a stick of dango from her hands. Her skin was pale and flawless like the light of the moon with lips that reminded Chizuru of the delicate red camellias that bloomed outside her room and stunning violet eyes with luscious flowing raven locks that rivaled even Hijikata's. This woman was an absolute goddess. 

“Aren’t you going to eat too?” Chizuru was speechless and even more so when the woman pushed the dessert past her parted lips. The woman just laughed at Chizuru’s muffled noise and surprised expression as she grabbed another one for herself. The girl had to duck her head to hide the crimson blush that stained her cheeks as she took hold of the bamboo skewer and shyly munched on the sweet mochi. Her heart was racing in her chest as the image of the woman laughing replayed in her mind, making the blush even more vibrant. Chizuru wanted to say something, anything, but she just couldn’t get her voice to work. Thankfully, the woman spoke up instead, filling the comfortable silence with her soothing voice.

“I must admit, I am happy to see you again after so long.”

“Huh?!” Chizuru snapped her head up when she heard the words of affection and her heart nearly burst when she saw the woman smiling oh so sweetly at her.

“I was worried. You were waiting for me, but I never showed. So I wanted to stay a little longer today as an apology.” Chizuru practically stopped breathing this time when the woman pat her head and leaned over to look into her eyes.

“T-thank you, I-I…” What was she supposed to say to that? Chizuru just snapped her mouth shut and continued to timidly eat her dango as the woman went back into a sitting position, but she couldn't stop her eyes from wandering to catch a glimpse of the ethereal woman.

What was wrong with her? Why was her heart beating so quickly? Why couldn’t she speak properly? Why did her body become warm every time she looked at the woman? So many questions, but no answers for any of them.

“Sadly, this is as long as I can stay.” Chizuru was broken out of her thoughts when the woman spoke up and announced her departure. She didn’t want her to leave yet! There was still so much she wanted to know!

“W-wait! I still don’t know you name!” Chizuru scrambled to her feet and grabbed the woman’s hand just as she walked back to the small desk in the corner of the room. The woman just smiled and cupped the girl’s face with her free hand, leaning in whisper into her ear.

“My name is…” Chizuru’s grip loosened when she heard the woman’s silky voice so close to her and shuddered when the room suddenly when dark. She needed to know. She needed to know who this person was.

_“Kikuzuki.”_


	5. Getting Lost

**Author's Note:**  
Chizuru's air headedness strikes again! That's all I've got to say. And again if I like your comment, it might be the influence of the next chapter!  


\- Zee  


* * *

Chizuru's first time out of the compound was disappointing to say the least. She had stopped all sorts of people to ask if they had seen her father, but with little luck. No one had seen the man and the trend only seemed to continue even as she followed the other captains around Kyoto.

"Did you find anything Chizuru?" Harada asked as the girl hurried back to his group. She looked up at the red headed captain and sadly shook her head.

"No, nothing. I don't think anyone here has any information about him."

"Don't give up. I'm sure someone knows something about where he is." Chizuru wanted to believe so too, but it had been about two months since she was allowed to follow the captains around on their patrols. It felt like she had talked to every person in Kyoto and yet, no one seemed to know a thing about her father. It was like he vanished into thin air. No! She was going to find her father no matter what!

Chizuru had gotten so lost in her own thoughts that she didn't even realize she had been separated from Harada until she accidentally bumped into someone and shook herself back to reality. A reality where she was completely and utterly lost.

"Harada-san?" This wasn't good. Chizuru tried to retrace her steps and go back the way she walked, but the further she walked back the more unfamiliar everything became. None of the stalls or even the people looked familiar at all. It was like she was in a completely different part of Kyoto!

Even though she had been tagging along on many of the patrols, Chizuru still didn't know her way around Kyoto and now she was paying the price for her negligence. The further she wandered, the more lost she became and before long Chizuru found herself right back where she started getting lost. She had been going in circles this whole time!

She had no other choice but to ask someone for directions and hopefully make it back to headquarters before the sun went down. However, knowing her luck and sense of direction she would most likely go the opposite way and end up walking straight out of Kyoto, but she had to try!

Just as she was about to ask a stall owner when she felt a light touch on her shoulder. Chizuru turned around to see a elegant young woman looking at her worriedly. There was something about the woman that seemed familiar to her, but she just couldn't put her finger on what. That is until she finally spoke.

"Are you lost?" Everything finally clicked together. It was Kikuzuki! Although she looked very different from her usual nightly encounters with the woman, but to Chizuru it was undeniably her.

"Kikuzuki-san! I-"

"I'm sorry, I think you might have me confused with someone else. My name is Kimigiku."

"Huh? But-" Chizuru was completely taken aback by this revelation. She thought for sure the woman in front of her was Kikuzuki, but considering she hardly knew her, she wasn’t exactly the best person to properly identify her. Had she really mistaken a woman out on the street for- ...what was the woman to her actually? A friend? 

"Regardless, it seems like you're lost. Do you need help finding your way?" Despite the case of mistaken identity, the woman seemed more than willing to help her out in her desperate moment of need.

"I - yes. Could you point me in the direction of the Shinsengumi headquarters?" Just the mere mention of the Shinsengumi cause the woman to flinch and look around nervously. Now that the woman knew Chizuru was affiliated with a certain group she seemed more hesitant around her and if she knew any better, Chizuru could very clearly tell that she no longer wanted anything to do with her anymore. 

"The Shinsengumi? Oh my, what business do you have with them?"

"They're-," Chizuru started, but remembered how Hijikata-san and the others had treated her when she was first taken in. She couldn't give anything up to the the woman, but she could twist the truth to hopefully be convincing enough in order for the woman to help her. "They're helping me find someone."

"Hmm, are they really as kind as you make them out to be? They just seem like a bunch of ronin disturbing the peace." Chizuru couldn’t keep quiet at that anymore and anger bubbled just underneath her skin. How dare this woman insult her friends despite everything they had done for Kyoto.

"They're not! They're kind and fight for what is right! Sure they can be a bit rough sometimes, but all they want is for the people of Kyoto to be safe. So that's why, even though they have to sometime seem like brutes, they're good people who want to follow what is right." Chizuru was completely out of breath by the end of her tirade and she half expected the woman to have scoffed at her, but the strangest thing happened next. She felt a gentle hand rubbing her back as she tried to catch her breath and calm herself down after getting so riled up. 

"I know, Chizuru-chan."

"W-wait. How do you know-"

"Come with me." The woman began leading her away from the middle of traffic, her hand still a solid sensation on her back forcing Chizuru to follow. She had been so startled by the sudden turn of events she barely heard what the woman said next. "Kimigiku. Call me Kimigiku in public."

"So you are!" Chizuru exclaimed.

"Yes. Sorry about that back then, but I can't afford to have my real name being common knowledge." Kimigiku smiled, feeling guilty that she had to trick the poor girl. Perhaps she would get permission to explain everything one day, but she knew it wouldn’t be anytime soon.

"Are you taking me back?" Chizuru asked, now following obediently by Kimigiku’s side.

"No, but I am going to take you to a certain Shinsengumi captain." Kimigiku led her down a couple of vaguely familiar streets until a very familiar mop of vibrant red hair came into view. "There he is. I believe you were going in circles in the opposite direction as him."

"Thank you, Kik- I mean Kimigiku-san." She was about to run off and relieve the poor captain of his stress, but stopped herself short to hesitantly look back at the woman. "Um, will I see you again soon?"

"I don't think so. Things have gotten a bit hectic, so visiting you at night has gotten a bit difficult," Kimigiku frowned, but a sly smile quickly replaced it. "However, if you happened to get 'lost' during patrols. Well, I couldn't turn a blind eye to someone in need."

"Chizuru! There you are!" Harada’s voice shouted out from behind the girl and she spun around to see the captain rushing up to her.

"Harada-san! I'm so sorry, I should have been paying more attention to where I was going," she frantically apologized. “This kind woman helped me find you again."

"You seemed lost and the Shinsengumi weren't too hard to find considering all the noise they were making." Kimigiku hid her teasing smile behind her sleeve from the red head then politely bowed to excuse herself. "Now that you're safe, please excuse me. I must be on my way."

"Thank you very much!" Chizuru called out as the woman walked away. Just as she was about to disappear among the other people, Kimigiku flashed a quick smile in Chizuru’s direction. The sight of the woman’s smile had the girl’s heart stuttering as the woman finally disappeared into the crowd of people. Chizuru placed a hand on her chest to try and calm herself, but she only managed to feel the sensation of her heart beating erratically. She had wanted to talk to Kimigiku longer, but considering her current situation, that would have to be another time. For now she had to return back to the compounds and figure out a way to both find her father and perhaps slip away from time to time so they could talk again.


	6. Danger for the Freed Bird

**Author's Note:**  
Holy shit, it's been a while since I've updated this one. Don't worry I haven't forgotten about it. This chapter was kinda sitting finished for quite a while but I never got around to actually posting it sooo here ya go!  


\- Zee  


* * *

Chizuru still had no luck with any of the townsfolk regarding the whereabouts of her father. No matter how many rounds she went on and how many people she asked, the result was still the same. She was still no closer to finding him, and this particular round with Heisuke seemed to steer her luck from bad to downright disastrous.

“Chizuru, stay back! Let us take care of these guys!” A group of ronin suddenly came rushing out and attacked Heisuke and his patrol group. To keep her out of the fray, the young captain had shoved her into the crowd of onlookers so she would blend in and not be associated with the Shinsengumi. Unfortunately, that made it all the more easier for her to be targeted. It seemed the ronin Heisuke was fighting were only half of an entire group and the other half were among the crowd.

Chizuru came to this sudden realization when she was grabbed and dragged into a small alleyway, gagged and tied up before she could even open her mouth to cry for help. Surrounded by a small group of ronin, her entire body shook. Everything suddenly went dark when she was stuffed into a large sack. She struggled as hard as she could, but all the wind was knocked out of her when her body was roughly tossed onto something wooden. The terrified girl could barely begin to start wriggling and crying out again when she felt sacks of rice being piled on top and around her. Chizuru was panicking. Everything was so heavy she could hardly breathe.

She tried yelling louder when everything jolted and began moving, with the fighting and Heisuke’s voice calling out her name becoming ever fainter. All too soon, the noises of the fight were drowned out by the everyday sounds of the streets of Kyoto. Chizuru tried desperately to get anyone’s attention, but the sacks of rice were large enough to muffle any noises she would have made. No one would notice she was in there.

Chizuru yelled and struggled for what seemed like an eternity, but it was all worthless. She had tired herself out and barely had any strength left to fight back when she was suddenly slung over someone’s shoulder. Where were they taking her?

It didn’t take long for her to find out when she was tossed carelessly onto the floor, all the breath getting knocked out of her lungs. She felt someone tugging at the bottom of the sack and was suddenly dumped out unceremoniously onto the floor. Chizuru frantically looked around and found herself to be in a dimly lit room, on the other end of the three ronins’ dangerous glares.

“What does the Shinsengumi want with this kid?”

“They’re keeping him safe, so whatever it is, he must be really important.”

“All he looks is wimpy. Probably a worthless new recruit.” Chizuru tried to flinch away when a burly man kneeled and reached for her, but he just roughly grabbed her face, turning it side to side. Her entire body trembled as the man scowled at her then forcefully shoved her away once he was done. She was terrified. What were they going to do with her?

“We should get some information out of the kid before we get rid of him. I’m sure he won’t take too much to break.” The burly man, most likely the leader, produced a knife seemingly out of thin air and walked over to one of the candles, flipping the silver blade in the flame until it glowed orange. Her eyes went wide with terror when she realized what the ronin intended to do to her and made a sorry attempt to wriggle away.

“Now, now. Don't squirm. This will only hurt a lot.” Chizuru tried to scramble backward, but the other two men dragged her back to the middle of the room. She struggled fruitlessly against their hold while the other ronin inched ever nearer, the knife getting dangerously close to her. She didn’t want to die! As her end closed in upon her, Chizuru clenched her eyes shut and wished with all her might for one person to come and save her. The person she begged for wasn’t any of the Shinsengmi or even her own father, but a certain violet eyed woman.

“Don’t you touch her.” Just as the searing knife was about to make its first cut, a deadly voice echoed throughout the room as the candles flickered out all at once, plunging the room into darkness. Chizuru was too terrified to recognize the voice and broke free from the ronins’ hold, crawling away to huddle in a corner as the men’s focus was off of her.

“Who’s there?!” The men frantically looked around the room, Chizuru forgotten, but there was no one there. They had barely drawn their swords when they, one by one, fell to the ground unconscious. It was much too dark for her to make out what had taken out the ronin, but there was someone else with her that could easily overpower her and she had no idea what they wanted with her. She clenched her eyes tightly and curled herself into a ball, hoping to whatever was up there to let her live. 

“Chizuru! Thank goodness you’re unharmed! I thought I had come too late.” A familiar voice made her eyes fly open to see Kikuzuki's dark silhouette rushing over to her, embracing her tightly. Tears spilled from her eyes in happiness as she cried out Kikuzuki’s name, her voice still muffled by the gag. She had never been more happy to see the other woman in her life! Chizuru could feel an arm tightening around her body and a hand behind her head pulling her closer. She was safe in her arms.

“I thought they – never mind that. Let me get these off of you.” Kikuzuki quickly removed the gag and cut Chizuru’s bonds with the utmost of care to not accidentally draw blood. The girl was safe. She had gotten to her before anything happened.

“Kikuzuki!” Chizuru threw her arms around her savior and cried like she had never cried before. There were no words she could think up that could ever express her gratitude, not that she could speak through her sobs at the moment.

“It’s alright. You’re safe. They can’t hurt you as long as I’m here.” Kikuzuki whispered soft words of comfort to the distraught girl while she clung to her like a child would. Anger surged through her when she felt Chizuru’s fear in her actions. Just how useless were the Shinsengumi to not be able to watch a single girl? Suddenly, the faint sound of swords clashing caught her attention. Well, speak of the devil, or wolves in this case.

“It seems the Shinsengumi have found your location. You should go to them.” Kikuzuki didn’t want to let go of the girl. Not now. Not ever. But she couldn’t let her personal feelings be the thing that revealed her identity to the Shinsengumi.

“Please don’t go! Don’t leave me!” Chizuru could feel the comforting pressure loosening around her body and she desperately tried to cling on to the woman, but it was no use. She had already let go,

“They’ll keep you safe for right now.”

“Kikuzuki-” The woman suddenly surged forward, hugging her tightly once more and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead, effectively cutting Chizuru off, before letting her go and disappearing into the night. 

“I won’t ever leave you. I’ll come to you when you're safe. I promise.”

\--------

Chizuru had been unable to move from that spot afterwards, but luckily Yamazaki had found her and hurried her out of the room before any of the men could regain consciousness. She had clung to him the entire time he led her out and broke down in tears when the familiar sight of the Shinsengumi captains came into view. As soon as Heisuke saw her, he fell to his knees, begging her to forgive him for not keeping a closer eye on her. She wanted to tell him to get up off the ground, but was still too shaken from before to do anything but keep her arms wrapped around her body. She felt a sudden warmth wrapping around her and turned to see Shinpachi had taken off his white haori and draped it around her shoulders.

She was safe. Her friends had found her. She was safe.

The walk back to the headquarters was a blur. The captains had formed a protective circle around her and Yamazaki was still holding her tightly, almost too tightly, but it helped to keep her grounded. She couldn't stop thinking about what could have happened if Kikuzuki hadn't shown up, but a tight squeeze from the male next to her shook her back to reality.

But she had. Kikuzuki had found her and saved her, and for that she could never thank the woman enough.

The entire trip back was a muddled blur and before long, Chizuru found herself alone in front of her room. The captains had taken the ronin that kidnapped her as prisoners to interrogate them and Yamazaki had given her a quick examination to make sure she was truly unharmed. He had walked her back to her room, his arm never once leaving her shoulders, and gave her one last comforting squeeze before leaving her to assist the captains.

Chizuru sighed and slowly slipped the white and blue haori from her shoulders. It seemed like all she was doing was causing trouble for the Shinsengumi. With a heavy heart, she slid her door open and quietly stepped inside, making sure to close the door behind her. But the moment it closed, Chizuru let out a squeak when she was pulled into a tight embrace.

"I was so worried about you, Chizuru! I'm glad you made it back safely!" Kikuzuki held her as tightly as she could, reassuring herself that no harm had befallen the girl within the short span of time she was forced to leave her side. She hadn't wanted to leave Chizuru, but for her existence to remain a secret to the Shinsengumi, she had to. However, now that they were alone, Kikuzuki could take her time fretting over the still shaken up girl.

"Kikuzuki..." Chizuru couldn't help herself from melting into the woman's warm embrace and slowly felt all her fear melt away the longer they stayed together. Tears of relief trailed down her cheeks as she clung to the older woman, her chest tightening painfully when those few tears led to ugly sobbing. She should have been embarrassed, but at this very moment it felt like she could finally be vulnerable with someone. Chizuru could feel herself being lowered to the floor as Kikuzuki knelt and cradled her body against her chest. She was safe.

“I'm so sorry I had to leave you, but I'm here now. I'll take care of you." Kikuzuki gently pulled Chizuru's hair loose and slowly carded her fingers through the strands. Choked sobs still echoed in the small room, but they eventually died down to quiet sniffles the longer she stroked the girl's hair. 

The woman had been lucky to be passing by when the entire thing went down. She had so desperately wanted to stop the men right then and there, but it was much too risky for her to act during the day with so many people as witnesses. It broke her heart hearing the poor girl's muffled cries for help when the ronin piled sacks of rice on top of her delicate body. It especially hurt since she was right above the alley where they had taken Chizuru, anxious to do anything but watch and follow silently as they carted her away. 

Kikuzuki didn't want to think of what could have happened if she hadn't been there or had showed up just a moment later. The possibilities were too painful to imagine, so she pushed them to the furthest reaches of her mind and focused on tending to the safe and unharmed girl in her lap.

"You must be tired, Chizuru." The girl shook her head, but Kikuzuki could tell she was completely and utterly exhausted from today's incident. She needed to sleep and regain her energy so she could go out and look for her father tomorrow.

"I won't leave you, so please rest." Kikuzuki carefully maneuvered the girl onto her futon and tucked her in, gently placing the girl's head on her lap so she could continue to comfort her while she slept. As she suspected, it didn't take long for Chizuru to enter the world of her dreams, but even so, Kikuzuki didn't want to leave the slumbering girl. Oddly enough, she wanted to take the girl away. Perhaps it wasn't odd; the Shinsengumi were a dangerous group, so there was no doubt their presence would invite dangerous enemies, but for a young girl to be caught up in their battle. She would have to convince the princess to allow the girl in to their home, where she would be safe, and tell her the truth about her heritage. 

For better or for worse, their chance meeting that night may have begun turning the wheels of fate in motion much quicker than anticipated. And Chizuru would have to hold on for the wild ride that was undoubtedly heading her way.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! If you liked it, leave ideas of what should happen next in the route in the comments! Cause who knows, maybe your comment will be the influence of Chizuru's next encounter!


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